Leading Industry Innovator Metaliq Named Conference Sponsor

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (March 11, 2008) – Beau Ambur, CEO of Metaliq, announced today the acquisition of the Flashforward Conference and Film Festival. Metaliq, Inc., known for its cutting edge innovations for interactive technology, will be a Flashforward Conference premier sponsor. The next conference is scheduled for August 20-22, 2008 in San Francisco.

The Flashforward Conference is the world’s original conference dedicated to interactive platforms. It was developed nine years ago and has been managed by lynda.com events and Lynda Weinman since 2005. Lynda recently transitioned the conference to Beau Ambur and Metaliq because of Beau’s impressive track record and his leadership role in the Flash® industry.

“The Flashforward Conference and Film Festival is a historic event as the longest-running and largest gathering of Flash designers and developers in the world,” said Lynda Weinman, Co-Founder of Flashforward and lynda.com. “As the co-founder, it’s extremely important to me that the torch carry forward to a respected industry insider who will run the conference for the benefit of this talented and diverse audience. Beau Ambur is among an elite group of the most forward-thinking Flash developers, who understands community and how important this event is to this industry. It’s an honor to pass the conference on to someone who is uniquely qualified to bring new ideas and vitality to an event that is near and dear to so many hearts.”

“We see this as an incredible opportunity to lead this year’s conference and believe Metaliq’s support will ensure even more cutting edge advances within the industry,” said Metaliq CEO & Founder Beau Ambur. “Metaliq will lend its innovative approach and inventive focus to enrich the conference while furthering Lynda’s mission to offer diverse knowledge and inspiration for everyone in the Flash® community, and will remain dedicated to a balance between designer and developers alike.” Metaliq’s unique and forward-thinking approach continues to extend and define what is possible in interactive technology on multiple platforms including Adobe Flash® and Microsoft’s Silverlight™.

The Flashforward Conference will be held August 20 – 22 in San Francisco, CA. The Flashforward Conference was the first event in the world focused on Macromedia, now Adobe, Flash®. The Film Festival showcases talent and presents awards to those leading in innovation and design. More details about Metaliq and the conference can be found at http://www.metaliq.com or http://www.flashforwardconference.com.

ABOUT METALIQ AND BEAU AMBUR

Metaliq is a solutions company specializing in industrial strength creative, code, and consulting. As a leading application development firm specializing in data-driven user experiences, Metaliq employs a team of top developers who identify, create, and implement innovative business solutions. Metaliq prides itself in developing industrial strength code and creating usable, intuitive and visually appealing applications. Metaliq works closely with top industry organizations to take their applications further, enhancing existing tools and identifying optimal implementations for our clients.

Metaliq CEO & Founder Beau Ambur is dedicated to innovative technology and creativity. As a top developer in the interactive industry, Beau has used nearly every version of Flash across various platforms. Prior to working with Flash, Beau worked with Director and Shockwave and has also contributed to the release of a number of Adobe, and formerly Macromedia products. Among his other professional interests are speaking internationally on interactive technologies, which starting as a speaker at the very first Flashforward Conference in 2000, and he continues to speak frequently as a leading expert in the field. His awards and recognition include the Webbys, FWA, Flashforward Film Festival and Communication Arts Interactive Annual.

Hello!

This email brings big news. Flashforward has a new owner! After running the conference for the past eight wonderful years, I’m excited to announce that a new owner will be taking over: speaker, industry expert, and cutting-edge Flash developer Beau Ambur.

I first met Beau a decade ago at the Macromedia User Group, where he served for years as the organization’s leader and speaker liaison. I was instantly struck by his intelligence, drive, and passion for our industry, and we’ve been friends ever since. Beau and his company Metaliq have consistently pushed the edge of Flash technology, and truly understand its roots, its potential, and its future. It was very important to me, as I searched for a new conference owner, to pass it on to someone who was a true industry insider, who understands the needs of the community, and the significance of what’s yet to come.

The next Flashforward Conference and Film Festival will be held August 20-22 in San Francisco; the location will be announced soon.

To reach someone at Flashforward, send an email to info@flashforwardconference.com.

It’s been an honor to run Flashforward, and I thank you all for some of the greatest moments of my life. I am moving on to devote full time to my other career: running lynda.com! I hope to see you at a Flashforward soon; this time I’ll be an attendee!

My best,
Lynda